Have you ever considered how big the body of Christ is? I’m not just talking about your local church where you worship, or even the believers in our nation as a whole. I’m talking about the global body of Christ. You may find that your church is run differently than others, that your church subscribes to a different denomination than others, or that your church’s racial make up is different than others, but we all have one thing in common… Our belief in Jesus as our savior. 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verses 3 through 5 reminds us:
"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance; that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve."
This belief binds us all together as one global church – one global body. So when you meet a fellow believer, I encourage you to remember this truth. If they believe in the truth of the word as of first importance to their faith, and do not try and change and alter it to fit in with society but rather use it as the guiding light for their lives, then they are in fact true brothers and sisters in Christ. And like family, your love for them as brothers and sisters should be evident in whichever way you choose to express it. Yes, we are to love everyone, but I believe that our love for our brothers and sisters should be at an even higher level.
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Paul tells the church in Corinth that their belief in Christ is of first importance. And I believe that every believer who believes in the truth of the Holy Bible is our spiritual brother and sister. If you’re struggling with that concept, I encourage you to find a way to come to terms with it now, because ultimately, we all will be spending eternity in heaven together. So let this truth bind us together, and not let any petty differences that don’t matter in the grand scheme of God’s plan separate us.